If you haven't read the news, there are approximately 500 Christians - women, children and older adults mainly - that were attacked and killed with machetes by Muslim neighbors over the weekend.
These people were hacked to death.
They say that one large underlying issue is the debate over land, poverty, and resources.
My heart is breaking for Nigeria.
There is so much violence, and it comes in so many forms. But it is physical violence that I despise the most, and absolutely do not tolerate.
But besides my heart hurting for Nigeria, my heart hurts for the many Muslims that had no part in this dispute, or any other. During my time in India, I have met many Muslims - I walk with them, eat with them, talk with them, sit in class next to them. I hear their call to worship in the morning, as the light streams in and night, when the sky is glowing a beautiful red. I see them living peacefully among so many other religions here in India, respected. I pass them on Friday mornings, as they calmly walk to the mosque in their best white outfit. As I understand it, the majority of Muslims are striving to live a virtuous life full of good deeds, and of peace.
I know it is a dark spot in their faith, that these radicals have given many reasons for the Muslim community to be under constant scrutiny and looked upon with suspicion.
In other news, today is International Women's Day.
Here in Hyderabad, we got flower garlands. Parliament also just passed a bill that has 1/3 of the legislative seats reserved for women. Change is a-comin!
Also happening today were campus protests for two different reasons - yesterday, some students were putting up posters (I never got what the posters were about) and they were beaten. I do not know how severely, but that is beside the point. There is Freedom of Expression that needs to be observed.
Students were in the halls, yelling, chanting, banging on doors.
Some students elsewhere locked the doors of the Social Sciences building - The students refused to go to class but the student hostels all woke up this morning without running water. I don't know the outcome, and our hostel was not affected. I don't know why.
Either way, there is no excuse for anyone to go without water. I know water is in short supply all over the world, but it is essential to life.
I don't know the reason for the water shortage. I know we have scheduled power outages to help conserve what little energy India has. Denying power - washing machines, internet, air conditioning - is more understandable.
Denying water, for whatever reason, is not.
A lot of things have been going on lately, with a lot of different feelings.
In my world, I've been dancing a lot in my head.
Maybe it is how I meditate, but I tend to take the things I think about, the emotions I feel, the actions around me and I think of it dancing terms, motions, choreography.
I explore how I would best explain and describe through emotion, connections, movement.
And then it just disappears most of the time. I take what works, I leave what doesn't, I put in the bank what has potential but isn't necessary at the moment.
Sorry there have been no pictures lately - but I am about to take off on a ten day trip to the coast where I will be sleeping in a houseboat, riding elephants, canoeing on backwaters, relaxing on the beach.
I could be a world traveler, just going to find and research all of the things I like and places I want.
I find it very agreeable.
Allyn Wong.
Occupation: Explorer, Adventurer, Anthropologist, Dancer
